During Wolf Awareness Week (October 17-23) people are encouraged to “get wild” and attend the celebrations and educational programs held across the United States. Animal behaviorist and author, Diana L. Guerrero states, "Americans should be proud of our national heritage and the diverse species this country supports. Efforts such as Wolf Awareness Week can instill a sense of ownership and participation of the natural world. Our fast paced lives can disconnect us from nature, but personal involvement brings matters home--and each person’s involvement can really make a difference."

Wolf recovery programs have made good progress, but many challenges remain. During Wolf Awareness Week (October 17-23) people are encouraged to “get wild” and attend the celebrations and educational programs held across the United States to call attention to the important predator.

Wolves historically inhabited most of the lower 48 states, until government extermination programs and unrestricted hunting killed almost all of them by the early 1900s. Wolf populations have only recently started to recover in Greater Yellowstone, the Northern Rockies, the Great Lakes and the Southwest regions of the country.

Diana L. Guerrero, an animal behaviorist said, “Wolves have been brought back from the brink of extinction but they still inhabit only a small portion of their original range. There are many challenges facing this large predator including illegal hunting, habitat encroachment and restriction, and hostile state management. Providing close encounters with these creatures helps educate people about their vital role in the environment, we hope that wolves will continue to propagate and thrive."

In her book, “What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality: Inspiring Lessons of Wild and Tame Creatures,” Guerrero writes,         “The subject of myths and mysticism, the wolf is a creature who sparked fear and hatred in the hearts of humans, generated stories and folklore, and ultimately emerged as a resilient icon of our link to nature despite opposition from humankind along the way..."

Defenders of Wildlife, founded in 1947, is one of the leading organizations working for the conservation of wolves and other predators. Advocates from the group conduct extensive public education programs on how to coexist with wolves. Staff members travel across the country hosting seminars and discussion programs on wolf behavior and human/wolf interactions. Their goal is to raise public awareness about the important role wolves play in the environment.

“When there are healthy populations of predators, the ecosystem and other living creatures within it thrive. Nature balances itself out. So, predators are known as ‘flagship species’ since they alert and motivate people to support conservation efforts. The conservation efforts and attention sparked from concern about the larger predators ultimately leads to the healing and recovery of the damaged environments." Guerrero stated.

Economic incentives promote the protection of endangered species on private lands. Two such programs were pioneered by Defenders of Wildlife. The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Wolf Compensation Trust pays livestock owners for losses to wolf predation and is considered to be an important factor on reintroduction programs of wolves to Yellowstone National Park and the northern Rockies. The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund supports practical projects that reduce conflicts between predators and landowners.

Guerrero continued, "Americans should be proud of our national heritage and the diverse species this country supports. Efforts such as Wolf Awareness Week can instill a sense of ownership and participation in the conservation of the natural world. Our fast paced lives can disconnect us from nature, but personal involvement brings matters home--and each person’s involvement can really make a difference."

Guerrero encourages readers to celebrate Wolf Awareness Week. Defenders of Wildlife and other wildlife organizations are sponsoring regional events during the week in many areas across the country. Activities include presentations by wolf experts, children's activities, guided tours of wolf facilities and more.

For more information visit:
Ark Animals
http://www.arkanimals.com

Timber Wolf Alliance
http://www.northland.edu/soei/timber_wolf.asp

Defenders of Wildlife
http://www.defenders.org/waw/

International Wolf Center
http://www.wolf.org/wolves/news/headlines.asp

Wolf News
http://www.wolfnews.org/

National Wildlife Federation
http://www.nwf.org/

# # #

"What Animals Can Teach Us about Spirituality" (ISBN 1893361845) is published by SkyLight Paths, a division of LongHill Partners, Inc.